Finding Your Voice for Words That Matter

It was about the roller coaster of life and getting lost in the festivities and how most people who go in to the carnival never come back out.

It was strange, like dreams are, and I’m not saying it was prophetic or even important, but it was after that that I knew I was to write.

I knew written words were to be how I communicated things I couldn’t say otherwise.

So I wrote my first book, in sixth grade.

I’m sure I would have given up altogether because I found putting down on paper what I held in my heart extremely difficult… except that I had found a new friend in this new school, in this new city. His name was George and every day on the bus to school he would ask me what happened next.

He believed in me and my story. {I’m sure it was a gift from God.}

I reckon I could write a book on how “not” to write…because I’ve tried and tried again and learned a whole lot about what not to do… And still I wonder if I can write a single post and do it anywhere close to “well.”

And yet I believe we all have words to contribute. We all leave legacy with words. Whether we write words or not, we are each leaving behind a “testimony,” the weaving of threads to form a central message.

“This is the testimony of John…” John 1:19

Testimony means “witness.” We each live a life that is making a theological statement about God. ~~~What does mine say? ~~~

Testimony means “martyr.” We each are giving our lives~ expending them drop by drop, with our time, toil, and tears~ for the “somethings” we value the most. ~~~What do I value? ~~~

John’s testimony was true, his cause was Christ. What can he teach me about words?

“This is the testimony of John, when he was asked, “Who are you?”” John 1:19

Words begin with a question. It isn’t so difficult. It isn’t complex or hard to understand. It doesn’t take degrees and influence and platforms and special titles.

Words ~lives~ that matter, find their birth with a single question. “Who are you?”

Why? Why is it so important to know who we are?

Because who we are determines what words we speak. It decides whether our words are Voice or Echo.

Walking in John’s footsteps, we must first know who we are not. “I am not the Christ.”

“I am not Elijah. I am not the Prophet.”

We must know who we are not and allow ourselves the freedom to not be someone else. I am not John Piper. I am not Beth Moore. I am not Sharon Jaynes or Shaunti Feldham or Jane Doe.

That is good. I can’t be me and I can’t speak my words and I can’t live my testimony until I give up on trying to be someone else.

“Who are you then, What do you say about yourself?” John 1:22

What I say about myself is incredibly important. I must define myself properly. John defined himself by the words that had been spoken over him before the beginning of time, words recorded in the Book.

“I am a voice…” John 1:23

(He found his Words in Is. 40:3)

When we define ourselves according to Words, His spoken about us, we move from being an echo to being a voice.

Each of us have had Words spoken over us, Words that define us, Words that tell us who we are, Words that give purpose for our individual lives.

~~~Have I identified those words that “belong” to me, that I belong to?~~~

I do not speak words well.

I do not write words well.

But finally, after doing so many things wrong, maybe I’ve finally started at the beginning: I have identified the Words that belong to me.